More Bizarre Culture Wars Issues

Monday

May 6, 2013 at 3:20 PM

Should the government be able to dictate where the dead are buried? Can a town, which regulates a cemetery, tell the cemetery owners that they will be persecuted by the government if someone accused of terrorism is buried in the town’s sacred soil? Does it make sense to be protesting a funeral home because someone is according dignity to the dead? I’m finding the whole issue to be pretty bizarre–the idea of a funeral home driving around looking for a place to dump reminds me of the Islip Garbage Barge incident of 1987, or maybe Charlie trapped forever beneath the streets of Boston on the MTA. Except that there is supposed to be some concept of human dignity here, and I’m wondering if Linsky would support digging up all criminals buried in Natick, to preserve the integrity of the community.

Rob Meltzer

Should the government be able to dictate where the dead are buried? Can a town, which regulates a cemetery, tell the cemetery owners that they will be persecuted by the government if someone accused of terrorism is buried in the town’s sacred soil? Does it make sense to be protesting a funeral home because someone is according dignity to the dead? I’m finding the whole issue to be pretty bizarre–the idea of a funeral home driving around looking for a place to dump reminds me of the Islip Garbage Barge incident of 1987, or maybe Charlie trapped forever beneath the streets of Boston on the MTA. Except that there is supposed to be some concept of human dignity here, and I’m wondering if Linsky would support digging up all criminals buried in Natick, to preserve the integrity of the community.